New Advent Online Retreat

As I consider Thanksgiving coming tomorrow and Advent following on Sunday, I remember words from Venerable Luis Martinez, the late prelate of Mexico City, who came of age during the Mexican Revolution, during the earlier part of the Twentieth Century. We will be using his writings, “Meditations to Prepare for Christmas” during our upcoming online Advent retreat that starts on Sunday, Dec. 1, 4-5:30 PM, CST. He wrote “When the Church celebrates the feast of Christmas each year, Jesus desires to be born in our hearts in a very special way. The Liturgy is not only a remembrance of of the mysteries that the Church expresses.We not only remember that night in Bethlehem, but moreover we recognize that this most tender mystery is truly happening in each well-prepared soul through the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

Our task is to consider how well we are prepared to receive the gift of Jesus, and how we may make ourselves a gift for Jesus this Christmas. Advent is our time of spiritual preparation. With this in mind however, if we are honest, we see that we are quite far from perfect in our virtues, in our service to others and even in our approach to God. What are we to do?

We celebrate our weaknesses as places of divine encounter, not because they are good in themselves, for they are not. Jesus has always been attracted to human struggle. He ate with sinners, healed the afflicted, chose the average and normal people as disciples and made them extra-ordinary in his love. Venerable Luis Martinez points out to us that “what he did and liked then, he still does, for Jesus never changes. Let us welcome him, as mangers, mangers warmed by the fire of our loving and hopeful intention for him. To hear more, join us for the live, interactive online retreat, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 4-5:30, CST or anytime using the recording. To register, go to:http://www.incarnateinstitute.org/content/NewAdventRetreat/tabid/135/Default.aspx ~ Mary